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Horror Writers YA Writing Test
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YA HORROR/THRILLER TEST
Instructions: Choose any two consecutive chapters and write them
up as a sample. I'm looking for believable teenagers and the
ability to deliver the "scares." You can send your chapters to
Melinda Metz, Senior Editor, Parachute Press, 156 5th Avenue, NY,
NY 10010.
Please note: I am not looking for a writer for this book. This is
a project already in the works. I'm using the outline as a writing
test only. If you have a young adult horror or thriller manuscript
or finished book, feel free to send that in as a sample. Please
don't send more than two chapters of the manuscript.
This story is told from the point of view of Miriam Lester.
Miriam's two best friends are Holly Denver and Ruth Carver.
Miriam is likable, sensible, practical. She wishes she could be
more outgoing like Holly. Her boyfriend is high school basketball
star, Jed Holman.
Holly is talkative, lively, very excitable, somewhat boy crazy.
She's also the biggest gossip in the school. She dresses
colorfully, dramatically, likes to wrap a bright scarf around her
neck.
Holly has a crush on Noah Brennan. She has had a crush on Noah
since the third grade. She likes him because he's not like the
other guys at school. He's kind of wild, impulsive, headstrong,
does what he wants, isn't afraid of authority, and has a strange,
almost sick sense of humor.
Noah is going out with beautiful, rich Mei Kamata. Mei is the
jealous type. She and Miriam used to be friends--now Miriam barely
speaks to her because she saw Miriam and Noah together and
mistakenly thought Miriam was coming on to Noah.
Ruth is pretty, but shy, no self-confidence, very studious, little
sense of humor.
Miriam is always trying to help Ruth with boys; always giving her
advice, trying to fix her up. But Ruth never has any success. She
starts resisting Miriam's attempts to help her. She spends a lot
of time in her room with her two pet hamsters. She tells Miriam
that she likes being alone. She doesn't really need people.
Chapter 1: Holly rushes up to Miriam and Ruth in the hall with
some great gossip--one of the most popular couples is
breaking up.
Holly and Miriam playfully urge Ruth to go after the
guy--he's on the rebound, etc. It's clear Ruth isn't
interested in finding a boyfriend.
Miriam complains about Jed. He's been acting weird.
She asks Holly if she's heard anything that might
explain his behavior. Holly says she'll ask her
around.
Noah and Mei walk by. Holly drools over Noah. Holly
says she'll do anything to get Noah. Anything? Miriam
asks, surprised. Anything, Holly answers seriously.
Chapter 2: Mei's party.
Miriam and Jed have a good time--he's back to his old
self.
Miriam is a little annoyed at Ruth. Miriam fixed her
up with a great guy, and she isn't even talking to him.
She's spending all her time with Gary, her next door
neighbor.
Miriam can tell Gary is upset. He keeps staring at
Holly. They've been going out a lot, and they came to
the party together. But Holly is ignoring him. She's
flirting with other guys--especially Noah.
Mei's angry at Holly. She's very jealous, and doesn't
want anyone flirting with Noah.
Someone screams.
Chapter 3: Noah scared Mei--she's fine.
A few days later, Miriam and Ruth study in Ruth's room.
Miriam thinks Ruth seems upset. She keeps fussing over
her hamsters.
Ruth confides that she really hates the way Holly
treats Gary.
Holly arrives--she's picking up Ruth and Miriam so they
can go to a basketball game. "I just heard the most
incredible thing!" she exclaims.
Chapter 4: Holly tells Miriam and Ruth that she heard Noah and Mei
having a big fight. Now maybe she'll have a chance at
Noah!
Ruth softly asks "What about Gary?" Holly says
she doesn't care.
On their way to the gym, Ruth stops by her
locker to grab a sweater. Miriam notices a
hammer with one claw broken off. Ruth explains
she's making a loom in art class.
At the basketball game, Jed gets in a fight with
another player. The coach makes him leave the
game. Miriam catches up to him before he gets
to the locker room. Asks him what's wrong.
Jed gets angry, grabs Miriam roughly by the
shoulders.
"Please don't hurt me," Miriam cries.
Chapter 5: Jed apologizes. The game had him stressed out. He
rushes into the locker room.
Miriam returns to the stands. It's halftime. Ruth
tells her that Holly went to buy Cokes.
Miriam and Ruth talk about Jed. Ruth is a good
listener. Ruth reminds Miriam that Holly is trying to
find out if anything is wrong with Jed.
Holly rushes back over. Mei and Noah are going to kill
Mei's mother, Holly announces breathlessly.
Chapter 6: Miriam and Ruth tell Holly everyone says they want to
kill their parents.
Miriam stares down at the court. She sees Noah and Mei
glaring up at Holly.
Holly wonders if they know she overheard them plotting.
Next day at school, the girls find out that Mei's
mother is dead.
Chapter 7: Holly asks Miriam and Ruth for advice. Should she go
to the police?
While the girls are talking, Noah comes up. He asks
Holly if she's heard any good gossip lately.
Holly says no. Noah says good.
Now Holly is positive that Noah knows she overheard
the conversation he and Mei had.
What is Noah going to do to her?
Chapter 8: Miriam gets a call from Holly. She's at school, making
decorations for a dance. She begs Holly to come help
her. She's still worried about the situation with Mei
and Noah. She's freaking herself out--imagining
someone is watching her. Miriam agrees to meet her at
school.
"Oh, and I found out something for you--"
The phone goes dead. Miriam rushes to school.
Miriam finds Holly dead.
Chapter 9: Miriam screams.
Jed appears. He and Miriam cling to each other.
Finally, she asks what he was doing at school so late.
Late practice, he explains. Where is everyone else,
Miriam wants to know. Jed says he stayed after
practice to lift weights.
They call the police.
Chapter 10: Miriam and Ruth talk about Holly's death.
Ruth says Gary is really torn up.
Ruth and Miriam discuss telling the police what Holly
heard.
Ruth opens her backpack. Pulls out a piece of paper,
sticky with blood. "We know that you know. That's
why you're next."
Chapter 11: Miriam realizes that she also knows about Mei and
Noah. She's in danger too. Miriam and Ruth tell the
police that Noah and Mei could have killed Holly.
Miriam's upset and wants to see Jed--he always makes
her feel better. But Jed acts strange. He flies
into a rage and says it was Holly's fault that she
got killed. She was always sticking her nose in other
people's business.
Chapter 12: The next day at school, Ruth and Miriam are in the
bathroom, talking. Miriam says Jed really scared her.
Why did he say such an awful thing about Holly? Did
she find out something bad about him?
The bathroom door slams and the lights go out.
Chapter 13: Mei and Noah confront Miriam and Ruth. They insist
that Holly was wrong. Mei asks how they could believe
she would kill her own mother.
Miriam wonders why Holly would make up such a horrible
story. Did she think it would get her Noah somehow?
If Beth and Noah didn't kill Holly, who did?
Who is after Miriam?
Chapter 14: Jed finds Miriam in the cafeteria and apologizes for
acting so weird. He's trying to get a basketball
scholarship, and he's been really tense. It's hard
for him to play well when he knows scouts are
watching. He asks Miriam to go to the game that night.
It would really help, he says. She agrees.
Miriam gets to the gym early. She stops to wish Jed
luck and sees him swallowing a pill. He says it's a
high energy vitamin he found at a health food store.
During the game, Jed flies into a rage. He grabs the
ref by the throat and shakes him.
Chapter 15: Miriam is horrified. She suddenly pictures Jed
strangling Holly. What did Holly know about Jed?
Jed gets thrown out of the game. Miriam leaves.
She's afraid of Jed. She doesn't want to run into
him.
Someone chases her.
Chapter 16: It's Jed chasing her.
Ruth's house is closer than hers. Miriam manages to
get to Ruth's before Jed catches her.
Chapter 17: Ruth is panic stricken. She's been trying to reach
Miriam. Ruth drags Miriam upstairs.
Ruth hamsters have been killed with a hammer. A note
lies next to them. "The police believe us--not you.
You're both dead hamsters if you say another word."
Chapter 18: So it really is Mei and Noah, Miriam thinks! Not
Jed.
She and Ruth discuss what they should do now. Miriam
says they have to show the police the note.
Miriam looks at the note again--and notices the hammer
is missing one claw.
It is the hammer Ruth had in her locker.
Ruth killed her own hamsters.
Chapter 19: Ruth sees Miriam staring at the hammer. She dives for
it and grabs it up. They struggle. Ruth swings the
hammer hard, hits Miriam's shoulder. Her shoulder
breaks.
Ruth admits that she killed Holly. She hated the way
Holly treated Gary. Ruth has always loved him and
Holly treated him like dirt. With Holly gone,
Ruth thought maybe Gary would want her.
Ruth swings the hammer back again. Miriam is trapped
against the wall. Frozen in agonizing pain.
Chapter 20: Jed bursts in. Ruth turns. Miriam picks up the heavy
hamster cage and smashes it over Ruth's head. Ruth
collapses. Miriam rushes into Jed's arms.
Chapter 21: Jed and Miriam wait for the police to arrive. Jed
explains to Miriam that he'd been taking steroids to
improve his game. He didn't realize how bad the
side effects were until he started to strangle the
ref. He followed Miriam to explain and to tell her
he's never taking them again.